Counting Stars
by chocolafied
Summary: "One green eye opened, and then another…and then she heard Jack's low chuckling again. She would've glared at him, had they not been standing on the surface of the still water. The lanterns were surrounding them. It was if they were in a different place, a world of their own. " Jack/Rapunzel ONESHOT


_Rapunzel couldn't take her eyes off of the lanterns that filled the night sky. They only happened on her birthday, tonight. It was a shame, though, that she couldn't touch the stars from the tower. Her young eyes watched the bright lights with envy, free to drift along the night breezes that blew by and light up the sky. _

_A gust of cold wind then blew by her. Her small frame shivered and she could see her breath. The little girl giggled, knowing who caused the sudden change in temperature. "Jack!"_

"_Hey, Punz!" the free spirit floated around in the air before landing on the window sill of the tower's open window, squatting down to eyelevel with the girl. A cold finger then reached out and poked her lightly on the nose. "Happy Birthday!"_

_Rapunzel giggled again. "Thanks." The spirit then hopped over her and landed gracefully a few feet away from her standing up. He began strolling around the room, dragging his staff around and looking around. His black eyebrows furrowed as he turned to face her. "Where's your mother?"_

"_Asleep!" she whispered, cupping her mouth for a moment before giggling lightly. She then ran over to the older boy and grabbed his hand. "So what'cha get me? What'cha get me?" she began dragging him over to her bed. _

_Jack let out a small chuckle. "Alright, alright, calm down!" he sighed, but a small grin was still on his face. Rapunzel's green eyes studied the bag that he had slung over his shoulder which he _usually_ didn't wear when he visited her. The spirit took his bag off and slung it onto the bed between himself and the girl. Now she was getting _really_ curious. _

_He pushed it lightly towards her over the bed covers. "Well?" She looked up at him, bewildered. "Open it!"_

_She didn't have to be told a second time. With great haste, her small hands made to undo the leather ties that held the knapsack closed and threw the front flap back. Jack's grin grew bigger when he saw her face and heard her loud gasp of awe. Rapunzel quickly took out the lantern inside and held it in front of her. "It's a lantern-!"_

"_SHHH!" Jack hushed her. From down the hall, a loudly snoring Mother Gothel could be heard sleeping the night away. Rapunzel giggled again. "It's a lantern!" Perfunctory, but carefully, she placed the lantern beside her on the bed and jumped on the spirit for a big hug, which he returned while smiling down on her. _

"_Thanks, Jack!" she spoke muffled into his hoodie, breathing in the scent of the earth and the winter that he carried with him. She heard him chuckle lowly. _

"_Anytime, my little princess."_

…That was ten years ago. Presently, she was holding one of the lanterns in the city, brushing the paper material with her right thumb, overcome with nostalgia. "Jack," her whisper was just to herself. No one else was around her now, this late at night, surrounded by nothing but the bright light of the lanterns that engulfed her and the darkness of the night sky. And with a heavy heart, she tossed the lantern into the air, letting it fly away.

Her green eyes kept watching it, however. She couldn't stop staring at that one specific lantern that was slowly drifting away from her. "Rapunzel." A voice reached her ears. Her body froze for a moment before she remembered…remembered _that_ voice. Her long and braided hair spun quickly as she turned around, spotting a pale and lean figure she recognized all too well.

Emerald eyes widened as she began running to him before she realized it herself. "Jack!" she ran into his open arms and hugged him tightly, breathing in that oh, so comforting scent of his as his arms held her tightly.

"You weren't in the tower." He spoke quietly. She looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah, I finally got out," she smiled back. She then turned to look at a nearby inn. "I came here with a man named Flynn Rider, he's in the inn with…" she turned to look at the spirit but his face held no warmth that it usually did. There was no glint of mischief that he usually held in those deep blue irises. Rapunzel's smile faded slowly faded away.

"Your mother's looking for you."

She looked down at the ground beneath their bare feet. "I know."

Jack sighed, but it was endearing. He couldn't stay mad at the girl, no matter how hard he tried. Girl…no, she was a _woman_ now. And then he realized, he _loved_ her; he didn't love her like a little sister as he had treated her all of these past years…He loved her as a _woman_.

"…ck…Jack?" Rapunzel was staring up at the spirit, baffled by his blank face.

The frost spirit blinked his eyes in confusion. "Wha…?"

Rapunzel let a small laugh out. "You were staring off into space."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Yeah, I got worried there for a sec." she shyly looked back up at him, cheeks flushed with their usual coloring.

Jack's blue eyes softened at that moment as his cold hand reached up and cupped her face lightly. She jumped lightly, before leaning into his touch, closing her eyes and sighing lightly. "I forgot to mention that you look lovely with that really big tail you have." He mused with a small smirk.

This made the blonde open her eyes with a glare and puff her cheeks before swatting his hand away lightly and looking away, crossing her arms. Jack meanwhile was laughing aloud, leaning back and head in the air with his hands shoved into his hoodie pockets.

"Still cute as always, Punzie." He remarked with a wide smile, eyes shimmering with their usual charm. Jack then looked up at the lanterns cluttering the sky, smile fading as he stared at the lanterns in awe. "Whoa," his voice was in a whisper, but the blonde's ears picked up the noise in the stillness of the late night.

She turned to stare back up at the lanterns that marked her birthday, the bright light intoxicating her. After a while, she was broken out of the trance by Jack's cold hand. "Do you trust me?" he asked. Rapunzel turned to look at him, seeing the eager look in his eyes and his genuine smile. A feint smile curled at her lips before she nodded. Jack grinned. "Good!"

Rapunzel was about to ask what he was going on about but he quickly grasped her hand with his and leaped up in the air, taking her along with him as she let out a small shout of surprise. Jack glided in the air, further and further away from the dock that they were standing on a few seconds ago. He finally came to a stop, in the middle of the water where the light illuminated them and blocked out the royal city.

Slowly, Jack and Rapunzel floated down lower and lower. Jack's feet touched the surface of the water, standing on it. Rapunzel's feet touched the warm salt water next, she held her breath, afraid to fall into the body of water below her…but the seconds passed by and she didn't. One green eye opened, and then another…and then she heard Jack's low chuckling again. She would've glared at him, had they not been standing on the surface of the still water. The lanterns were surrounding them. It was if they were in a different place, a world of their own.

"I figured since you're going to have to go back to your friend in the inn and return home, I might as well spend some quality time with you, right?" he quirked an eyebrow at her. Rapunzel just stared at the spirit. "Do you know how to dance?" he asked her, but didn't really care if she responded. His hand went to her waist while the other one tightened its grip on her hand. Rapunzel put her hand on his shoulder nervously. The butterflies were never there in her stomach before, so why were they roaring to life now?

The spirit's first step took her off guard. He was hopping, it seemed, as they danced on the water. And then it clicked in her mind; It was a ballroom hop. She followed almost effortlessly as he guided them all over the surface of the water, laughing aloud as he wore a bright grin. The nervousness she had been feeling then suddenly died, replaced by adrenaline and pure ecstasy.

The lanterns seemed as though they were stars, lots of them. And for the longest time, Rapunzel thought they were stars, until Jack took her out of the tower when she was younger and showed her…they were _lanterns_. She couldn't leave the tower again; it was too close of a call the last time. But he did bring her one of the "stars" on her eighth birthday.

"So after all this time, they were lanterns after all." Jack mused as he twirled her. Rapunzel put her hands on the spirit's shoulder again and they continued their ballroom hop.

"They still look like stars to me," she remarked, looking up at the supposed stars for a moment. The winter spirit looked up too before he spun her again, this time they switched sides that they were on. They paused for a moment, catching their breath.

"How many do you think there are?" he asked.

"I don't know…" her voice trailed off as she seemingly tried to count some of them. Jack puffed a breath out and took a few footsteps towards the blonde until he was standing right in front of her, noses almost touching. His free hand gripped hers as he stared into her eyes with that kindling love that she's always loved about him, despite his cold touch.

He kissed her lightly on the forehead. She closed her eyes and leaned in slightly, returning the tight grip he held on her hands. He knew she would grow old and he wouldn't. He knew that he was immortal and she wasn't. He knew…he knew it was wrong. The right thing to do would be to walk away from this, walk away from her. But he couldn't.

He couldn't because he felt something wrong doing the right thing.

It felt right to do the bad thing. It felt right to love her.

* * *

**Alright, I admit it. I ship them. SUE ME (not literally I hope .w.; )  
I also did a fanart of this story. Check Out my profile for the link! :D**

Any feedback is greatly appreciated~ -swoon-

**~Sandy**


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